Winsted's former finance director Centrella had a clean employment record before he was fired

WINSTED >> While the Connecticut State Police conducts its investigation into the financial activities of Winchester's business department, at least one aspect of the former finance director's record appears to be spotless.

Henry Centrella, who was fired on Jan. 13 after 35 years with Winsted, had been placed on administrative leave on Nov. 9, 2012 after "accounting irregularities" were discovered in the town's business department.

However, Centrella had a clean record up until being placed on leave, according to the former finance director's personnel file. The Register Citizen obtained a copy of Centrella's file, dating back to his application for the job of management analyst in 1977, through a Freedom of Information Act request. Throughout his nearly 36 years in Winsted's business affairs, Centrella had numerous positive evaluations up until his suspension and subsequent termination.

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"Henry is dedicated, competent, gets the job done effectively and efficiently and has started to deal much more effectively with personnel," wrote former town manager Jay Gsell in a 1987 performance evaluation. "Trust and loyalty are also unquestioned qualities that Henry brings to the job."

Centrella began working with Winsted's finance department on Jan. 31, 1977 as a management analyst. Eventually, Centrella climbed the ladder, earning promotions to town accountant in 1978 and interim finance director on Jan. 26, 1989. Centrella was appointed the permanent finance director on June 7, 1982 and held the position until his termination 30 years later. That time included multiple stints as interim town manager, including one which started the day after he was appointed the town's permanent finance director.

Centrella's file includes numerous glowing personnel evaluations dating back throughout his career with the town, as well as commendations for his work in completing audits. The most recent evaluation in Centrella's file is from February 2010, and Centrella cited his work helping Winsted navigate a "cash crisis" in December 2009 as one of his major accomplishments, as well as Winsted's receipt of a Government Finance Officers Association certificate for the 20th straight year.

"Mr. Centrella is a very experienced and competent finance director," stated then-town manager Wayne Dove in the Feb. 8, 2010 review. "With over 3 decades of work experience with the Town, he is by all accounts one of the most valuable assets of the Town administration."

Until the discoveries of November 2012, the biggest complaint against Centrella had been his compensatory time, which he had accrued due to the increasing workload. This time had been capped at 75 hours as of March 19, 1984 in exchange for two additional personal days -- to be taken between that date and the end of the 1983-84 fiscal year -- and four additional days of personal time, on top of his earned paid time off, per fiscal year. At that time, Centrella had racked up 817 hours in compensatory time, which was repaid in a lump sum of $9,850.50.

hree years later, as Gsell departed the town manager's position, Centrella requested another cash-out of his compensatory time, which stood at 769 hours on Feb. 3, 1987. In light of Gsell's departure as town manager, Centrella expected this amount to increase "with the expected increase of hours required in the near future due to the attempted completion of the budget prior to your departure, data processing duties, budget hearing attendance, and fill in the gap work due to employee absences."

Numerous town managers praised Centrella throughout his tenure in Winsted, some of whom were repeat customers. Paul Vayer worked with Centrella as town manager in the mid-1990s, then returned to the town to help bridge the gap between Wayne Dove and current town manager Dale Martin.

"During my tenure as Interim Town Manager for the Town of Winchester," stated then-interim town manager Vayer in an April 8, 2011 memo to Centrella, "one of the most important and complex issues facing the Town has been the fiscal state of affairs including, but not limited to, the budget. During my over 25 years in public management, your expertise, commitment and dedication to excellence have led me to conclude that you are one of the most exceptional Finance Directors I have ever had the privilege to work with. Your ongoing commitment and performance during the ongoing and most recent budgetary process has made you a considerable and unquestionable asset to the government of Winchester."

Centrella informed current town manager Dale Martin that he was retiring on Sept. 10, 2012, but did not specify the date of his departure. Eventually, Centrella said he intended on retiring at the end of November, but the only finance director in Winsted's history to that point was placed on administrative leave before that time came. At the time of his termination, Centrella was earning $78,831 per year, according to his contract, which was ratified on April 15, 2010.

"I have enjoyed working with my staff and all the other Town employees for the past thirty-five years and am ready to move on to the next phase of my life," Centrella wrote in his retirement letter.

Four months later, though, Martin informed Centrella that the town would hold a pre-termination hearing on Jan. 17. The letter, which was hand-delivered to Centrella on Jan. 3, stated that the hearing would "provide you with an opportunity to respond to charges that you have seriously neglected your duties as Finance Director and, as a result, your work performance has been unsatisfactory."

The specific charges included accusations that Centrella had improperly stored town funds in his desk, made unauthorized fund transfers, failed to notify Martin or the Board of Selectmen of the transfers and failed to fully cooperate with town auditor Vanessa Rossitto on the 2010-11 audit. No previous documentation regarding these accusations was included in the file.

Robert Dwyer, who is Centrella's attorney in the termination proceedings, informed Martin in a Jan. 11 letter that he would not be able to attend that hearing and asked for a postponement until February. Six days later, though, Martin fired Centrella after Dwyer reportedly sent a letter to the town attorney waiving his right to a hearing. This letter was not included in the copy of Centrella's file which was provided to the Register Citizen.